First MnSCU Undergraduate Research Conference of Scholarly and Creative Activity to be held April 23

More than 120 projects to be presented at Minnesota State Mankato.

The first Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Undergraduate Research Conference of Scholarly and Creative Activity will be held Monday, April 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second floor of the Centennial Student Union at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The conference will feature more than 120 student presentations in a wide variety of disciplines by students from six MnSCU universities, including Minnesota State Mankato, Winona State University, St. Cloud State University, Metropolitan State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and Southwest Minnesota State University.

The purpose of the conference is to provide undergraduate students from any MnSCU university the opportunity to present their research, scholarly, and creative projects through poster presentations, oral papers, visual art, displays, and performance art. The conference will provide intercampus engagement for both faculty and students, help to build pipelines between campuses and increase the presence of MnSCU universities as leaders of undergraduate research.

Eligible participants are any MnSCU undergraduate student engaged in collaborative or independent research, scholarly or creative activity that is sponsored by a MnSCU faculty member.

Minnesota State Mankato President Richard Davenport and MnSCU Vice Chancellor Doug Knowlton will give opening remarks from 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the CSU Central Ballroom. During a celebration lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the CSU Central Ballroom, keynote speaker Anne Blackhurst, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Minnesota State University Moorhead will address conference attendees.

Dr. Marilyn Hart, director of the Undergraduate Research Center at Minnesota State Mankato, said that campus coordinators have been working on the conference for over a year.

“This conference was the vision of the Minnesota State Mankato Undergraduate Research Council,” said Hart. “It is the first-ever, and next year we will host it again. Then it will rotate to other campuses on a two-year rotation cycle. I am thrilled that six of the seven MnSCU universities will be participating.”

For more information, contact Hart at marilyn.hart@mnsu.edu or at (507) 389-5732.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 15,649 students, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, which comprises 32 state institutions.